2026 Best Value Philosophy Associate’s Degree Schools
Looking for the best-value Philosophy associate’s degree programs in the United States? This list ranks 913 colleges by value — the balance of cost and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology. The rankings below weigh factors such as tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the strongest return on investment.
So you can compare your options, Course Advisor analyzed schools to produce this 2026 value ranking, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). View our full ranking methodology.
Top 25 Best-Value Philosophy Associate’s Degree Schools in the United States
Here are the top-ranked schools for value:
Leading the list is Franciscan University Of Steubenville, our #1 best-value Philosophy school in the United States. Based in Steubenville, OH, Franciscan University Of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,100. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete their Philosophy program here. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $50,030. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Franciscan University Of Steubenville admits about 58% of applicants. More on Franciscan University Of Steubenville
Utah Valley University came in at #2 on this year's best-value Philosophy ranking in the United States. Utah Valley University is a public school based in Orem, UT. Students from in state pay about $6,507 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,489. Graduates carry a median of $15,636 in student loans. Utah Valley University alumni report median earnings of $55,486 a decade after entry. That is a strong return on a $15,636 median debt. Read the full report on Utah Valley University
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Bowdoin College earned it the #3 place in the United States. See the full Bowdoin College profile
A rank of #4 makes Brigham Young University Provo one of the best values in the United States. See the full Brigham Young University Provo profile
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The College Of Saint Scholastica earned it the #5 place in the United States. More on The College Of Saint Scholastica
Bryn Mawr College came in at #6 in this year's value ranking. Read the full report on Bryn Mawr College
Citrus College placed #7 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. More on Citrus College
Clark Atlanta University came in at #8 in this year's value ranking. More on Clark Atlanta University
The University Of Texas At San Antonio placed #9 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. More on The University Of Texas At San Antonio
Ursinus College
Ursinus College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. More on Ursinus College
Virginia Wesleyan College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. See the full Virginia Wesleyan College profile
Antioch College
Antioch College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. Get the full Antioch College report
Florida Southern College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. Read more about Florida Southern College
Saint Thomas University landed the #14 spot for value in the United States this year. More on Saint Thomas University
South Texas College placed #15 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. More on South Texas College
Alma College
Alma College came in at #16 in this year's value ranking. Read more about Alma College
College Of Marin
College Of Marin ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. More on College Of Marin
Grand Valley State University placed #18 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. Read more about Grand Valley State University
Northern Illinois University ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. See the full Northern Illinois University profile
Rio Hondo College ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. See the full Rio Hondo College profile
Bucknell University placed #21 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. Get the full Bucknell University report
Lafayette College ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. Read more about Lafayette College
Santa Rosa Junior College placed #23 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. See the full Santa Rosa Junior College profile
East Carolina University came in at #24 in this year's value ranking. See the full East Carolina University profile
Plymouth State University offered strong value this year, earning the #25 position. More on Plymouth State University
Rest of the Top 50 Best-Value Philosophy Associate’s Degree Schools in the United States
Not far behind, these schools also offered excellent value:
University Of Maryland Baltimore came in at #26 in this year's value ranking. Get the full University Of Maryland Baltimore report
Victor Valley College came in at #27 in this year's value ranking. Read more about Victor Valley College
Antelope Valley College landed the #28 spot for value in the United States this year. More on Antelope Valley College
Carnegie Mellon University came in at #29 in this year's value ranking. Read more about Carnegie Mellon University
Clovis Community College Fresno offered strong value this year, earning the #30 position. Read more about Clovis Community College Fresno
Kennesaw State University came in at #31 in this year's value ranking. See the full Kennesaw State University profile
Kenyon College
Kenyon College offered strong value this year, earning the #32 position. Get the full Kenyon College report
Monmouth College
Monmouth College came in at #33 in this year's value ranking. Get the full Monmouth College report
Mt San Jacinto Community College District placed #34 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. Read the full report on Mt San Jacinto Community College District
Saint Edwards University offered strong value this year, earning the #35 position. Get the full Saint Edwards University report
University At Buffalo placed #36 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. Read more about University At Buffalo
University Of Kansas ranked #37 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. More on University Of Kansas
Arizona State University Skysong offered strong value this year, earning the #38 position. Read the full report on Arizona State University Skysong
Canisius College
Canisius College came in at #39 in this year's value ranking. Read more about Canisius College
Claremont Mckenna College placed #40 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. Read more about Claremont Mckenna College
Eastern Michigan University landed the #41 spot for value in the United States this year. Read more about Eastern Michigan University
Lewis And Clark College offered strong value this year, earning the #42 position. More on Lewis And Clark College
Missouri State University Springfield placed #43 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. Read the full report on Missouri State University Springfield
The University Of Tennessee landed the #44 spot for value in the United States this year. Get the full The University Of Tennessee report
Duke University
Duke University ranked #45 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. See the full Duke University profile
Hollins University offered strong value this year, earning the #46 position. More on Hollins University
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus placed #47 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. See the full Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus profile
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College came in at #48 in this year's value ranking. See the full Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College profile
Hiram College
Hiram College placed #49 among the best-value Philosophy schools in the United States. Read the full report on Hiram College
Hobart William Smith Colleges ranked #50 on our 2026 list of the best-value Philosophy schools. Read the full report on Hobart William Smith Colleges
Related Philosophy Value Rankings
See value rankings for other degree levels:
- Best Value Philosophy Schools (All Levels)
- Best Value Philosophy Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Value Philosophy Undergraduate Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Value Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Philosophy Graduate Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Value Philosophy Master’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Philosophy Doctoral Degree Schools
Ranking Methodology & Notes
This list is compiled by Course Advisor (DMS_RANKING_2023), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment — drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · Scope: Nation. *Averages shown above reflect the top 913 ranked schools only.
References
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (core institutional data).
- College Scorecard — U.S. Department of Education (graduate earnings and outcomes data).
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